Protection disks for breastfeeding mothers

ABSTRACT

Protection disks for breastfeeding mothers, applicable to a mother&#39;s breasts ready to give milk, for protecting them and absorbing the flow of milk which comes out spontaneously therefrom, which comprise two kinds of disk clearly differentiated from each other, of which the disks of the first ( 2 ) kind having an appreciably different configuration from those of the second ( 2 ′) and/or are provided with at least one differentiating tactile and/or optical marking ( 1 ), in high relief or in low relief, enabling them to be differentiated from other disks of the second kind, intended for applying to the other breast, which are devoid of said marking or having another different marking.

This Application is a 371 of PCT/EP2003/014249 filed Dec. 15, 2003; thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an improvement in the disks used for protectingthe breasts of breastfeeding mothers, whose milk is used for feeding anewborn baby and for absorbing the flow of milk, which spontaneouslycomes out therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The feeding of a baby is essential for its correct development and forgood nutrition it is strongly advised by paediatricians, midwives andother experts in breastfeeding. It is a practice, which contributes manybenefits, apart from the nutritional ones, to both mother and child.

Nevertheless, the practice of breastfeeding causes milk leakage afterthe sucking, as well as pain and hypersensitivity therein.

Different mechanisms exist which adapt to the breasts so as to avoidmilk leakage and protect them from knocks and chafing. The embodimentconsisting of two disks, one for each breast, is very widespread and isadaptable to the latter and made of absorbent and resistant material.

The same experts also advise, both for the mother and child's benefit,that for each feed, the baby is breastfed with both breasts and startingwith the breast last used in the previous feed.

One must bear in mind that caring for a baby requires an effort of bothconcentration and serenity and that, faced with a series of stimuli andsituations such as: hygiene, controlling the feeding schedule, thelength of time with each breast, etc., it may be that the personresponsible for doing it (the mother), especially if she is starting,needs a period of adaptation and a range of outside resources to makeher job easier. In practice, for instance, the fact of having toremember which was the last breast used for feeding the baby, may causeproblems to the person responsible for doing it.

Just as different embodiments exist which help in several of theaforementioned aspects, so there continue to be difficulties in otheraspects. It is the case of said example, when the mother starts a feedwith breast milk, she has to stop to think which breast she ended theprevious one with. Having said that, provided that one wants to do it ina way which is most beneficial to both.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

With the aim of providing a solution to the previously describedproblems stemming from the lack of resources which help in following theguidelines recommended for the feeding of a newborn baby by breast milk,always giving milk first from the breast with which the previous feedended, a new protection has been created for the breast at the secretionof milk stage for the feeding of a newborn baby, which at the same timecomplies with all the technological requirements for permitting all theaforementioned functions.

The protection disks for breastfeeding mothers object of the inventionare characterised in that they comprise two kinds of disk clearlydifferentiated from each other, of which the disks of the first kindhave an appreciably different configuration from those of the secondand/or are provided with at least one differentiating tactile and/oroptical marking, in high relief or in low relief, enabling them to bedifferentiated from other disks of the second kind, intended forapplying to the other breast, which are devoid of said marking or haveanother different marking.

According to another characteristic of the invention, thedifferentiating tactile and/or optical marking is removable, so that itsapplication in one of the disks of the second kind convert said diskinto one of the first kind.

The protection disks object of the invention are also characterised inthat the disks of the first kind and of the second kind can comprise asmall deposit, in the form of a bag or inflatable bubble, whichconstitutes the differentiating marker, capable of being burst or easilydeflated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Represented in the drawings of this specification is an example of anembodiment of one of the protection disks for breastfeeding applicableto a mother's breast ready to give milk, to protect it and absorb theflow of milk that spontaneously comes out therefrom, object of thepresent invention. In said drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment example of the protection disk;

FIG. 2 is a profile view of the disk;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same disk;

FIG. 4 is a close-up in section of the optical and tactile marking ofthe embodiment example of the protection disk; and

FIG. 5 consists of a plan view of another form of embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention in which a bubble is the differentiating marker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description which follows refers to the above described drawings,which make it possible to appreciate in detail an embodiment example ofthe protection disks of the present invention.

As can be appreciated in FIGS., 1 to 3, the protection disk representedcomprises an optical and tactile marking 1 that makes it possible todistinguish it from other disks that do not have it.

In FIG. 4 we can observe an example of the thickness of the protectiondisk as regards the marking in low or high relief, so that the latter issmall in order not to show on the clothing superimposed on it and at thesame time being enough to be noticeable by touch.

The protection disks object of the present invention consist of animprovement on the absorbent disks currently existing on the market,adaptable to breasts which are at the breast milk secretion stage.

In accordance with FIGS. 1 to 5, the protection disks comprise two kindsof disks 2-2′, clearly differentiated from each other. The disks aredifferentiated from each other because the disks of the first kind 2 areof a different configuration from the first kind 2′. Obviously, thedifferent configuration of the disks 2-2′ in themselves constitute anoptical and tactile differentiating marking. In any case, the disks canalso be differentiated from each other because the disk in the firstkind 2 is provided with a differentiating optical and/or tactile marking1, in high relief or in low relief, whereas the disk of the second kind2′ similar to this one, placed on the other breast, lacks said marking 1or has another different marking 1′. Arranged on the breasts withdifferentiating markings and at the same time protecting and absorbingthe flow of milk spontaneously coming out of them, helps the mother toidentify the breast with which to start the next feed for the baby.

The differentiating marking 1-1′ is situated in a noticeable area of thecorresponding kind 2-2′ to differentiate, so that visually and/or bytouch, whether in a lit up or dark place, it is possible to recognizethe breast with which to start the feed at that time. The marking 1-1′can be of high relief or low relief with a determined shape, but it hasto be discrete in such a way that it does not show through clothing andhave an non-aesthetic effect. Said marking 1-1′ can be just the one orthey can be several, different and/or repetitive, for example a disk ofone colour/shape/feel and the other of another colour/shape/feel.

The marking 1-1′ can be incorporated into the product (printed,engraved, patterned, etc.) in the production process or constitute aremovable accessory which, by means of an adhesive or similar system,the consumer uses at the time of use, fixing it to the disk that shewants to differentiate.

Also provided for is the possibility of both disks 2-2′ being the sameand that those that have to be differentiated comprise a small deposit,in the form of a bag or inflatable bubble, for example, bubble 1″ inFIG. 6, full of a fluid or plastically deformable material, designed sothat the user may with relative ease at the time of use, burst, deflate,or press, the aforementioned deposit of one of the disks beingpermanently deformed, thus differentiating which is the next breast tostart with in the next feed.

In accordance with FIG. 5, the protection disks comprise a first kind 2of disks with an appreciably rounded configuration; and a second kind 2′of disk with an appreciably hexagonal configuration. Obviously, theconfiguration of the disks 2-2′ may consist of any other geometricshape. In the case represented it is also envisaged that the two kinds2-2′ of disks can also be differentiated by a differentiating tactileand/or optical marking 1-1′ which consists of providing the disks of thefirst kind 2 with a smooth surface, and the disks of the second kind 2′with a rough surface.

If one makes use of the protective disks of the present invention withtwo kinds 2-2′ of disks clearly differentiated from each other by theirdifferent configuration and/or by an optical and/or tactile marking1-1′, the first disk 2 can be applied to the breast that has been usedlast to feed the baby and the second 2′ for the other, or vice-versa,but obviously one will have to keep the criteria for identifying thebreast and avoid confusion. Therefore, the next time a feed is started,just by looking at or touching the protective disks one will immediatelyknow which breast to start with. In addition, for this it may be a goodidea for the marking to be a meaningful icon for the person using it; adrop of milk, lips, an “OK”, a star, etc.

1. A system of absorbent breast feeding protection disks for selectiveapplication to alternate breasts in connection with breast feeding, thesystem comprising: at least two types of alternative breast feedingdisks each having an outer surface and an inner surface, each type ofdisk differentiated from the other by a user of the system based on arecognizable configuration on the outer surface of the disk selectedfrom one of a low relief tactile marking one of a high relief tactilemarking and one of an optical marking that is within a periphery of theouter surface of the disk; and wherein each disk is configured as anabsorbent protective disk comprising an absorbent material and forplacement in a bra cup to absorb spontaneous flow of milk from a breast.2. The system according to claim 1 characterised in that thedifferentiating recognizable configuration is removable by the user, sothat application of the recognizable configuration to or removal of therecognizable configuration from a disk outer surface of one typeconverts that disk into the disk of the other type.
 3. The systemaccording to claim 1 characterised in that the disks of one typecomprises on an outer surface of the disk an air bubble that can beconverted into the disk of the other type by deflating or bursting theair bubble.
 4. An absorbent breastfeeding protection kit for abreastfeeding mother, the kit comprising a pair of protective disks, thedisks comprising: a first disk comprising an absorbent material andconfigured to be placed between one of the breastfeeding mother'sbreast, which is a first breast, and a cup of a bra or other garmentworn there over, so as to directly absorb the flow of milk that comesout from the first breast; and a second disk comprising an absorbentmaterial and configured to be placed between the other one of thebreastfeeding mother's breasts, which is a second breast, and anothercup of a bra or other garment worn there over, so as to directly absorbthe flow of milk that comes out from the second breast, therebyprotecting the cup of the bra or other garment worn there over; andwherein the first disk is noticeably distinguishable to thebreastfeeding mother from the second disk due to one or more of thefollowing: (a) the first disk having, on an outer surface of the diskand within a periphery of the outer surface of the disk an observabledesign that is not present on the second disk, (b) the first disk havinga tactile marking on the outer surface of the disk, in high relief or inlow relief, not present in the second disk, (c) the first disk having anoptical marking on the outer surface of the disk and within theperiphery of the outer surface of the disk that is not present in thesecond disk; and (d) the first disk having an observable shape that isdifferent from an observable shape of the second disk; and wherein thedistinguishable disks are configured to be used by the breastfeedingmother to identify a breast with which to start the next breastfeeding;and wherein the first disk and the second disk do not provide liftsupport for the breastfeeding mother's breasts.
 5. The kit according toclaim 4, wherein the first disk is noticeably distinguishable to thebreastfeeding mother from the second disk due to the first disk having,on the outer surface of the disk and within a periphery of the outersurface of the disk a visible design that is not present on the seconddisk.
 6. The kit according to claim 4, wherein the first disk isnoticeably distinguishable to the breastfeeding mother from the seconddisk due to the first disk having a tactile marking on the outer surfaceof the disk, in high relief or in low relief, not present in the seconddisk.
 7. The kit according to claim 6, wherein the tactile marking is abubble configured to be burst by the breastfeeding mother and, onceburst, resembles the second disk.
 8. The kit according to claim 6,wherein the tactile marking is a bubble configured to be deformed by thebreastfeeding mother and, once deformed, resembles the second disk. 9.The kit according to claim 4, wherein the first disk is noticeablydistinguishable to the breastfeeding mother from the second disk due tothe first disk having an optical marking on the outer surface of thedisk and within the periphery of the outer surface of the disk that isnot present in the second disk.
 10. A protection device system for abreastfeeding mother, comprising a pair of disks comprising absorbentmaterial and configured to be placed between one of the breastfeedingmother's breast and a cup of a bra or other garment so as to directlyabsorb the flow of milk that comes out from the first breast, each diskon an outer surface thereof comprising an outwardly visible and tactilemarker in high relief that is a bubble configured to be deflated by thebreastfeeding mother, thereby deforming the marker; and wherein the pairof disks do not provide lift support for the breastfeeding mother'sbreasts.
 11. The kit according to claim 4, wherein the first disk isnoticeably distinguishable to the breastfeeding mother from the seconddisk due to the first disk having having an observable shape that isdifferent from an observable shape of the second disk.
 12. A method ofbreastfeeding, comprising: providing an absorbent breastfeeding disksystem of at least two types of alternative absorbent breast feedingdisks each having an outer surface and an inner surface, each type ofdisk differentiated from the other by a user of the system based on arecognizable and visible or tactile structure; breastfeeding a child;and applying one type of disk of the two disk types to one breast undera wearer's garment and another type of disk to the other breast under awearer's garment so as to uniquely mark the breast last used forbreastfeeding.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein therecognizable structure is on the outer surface of the disk and is one ofa low relief tactile marking, one of a high relief tactile marking, oneof an optical marking, and one of a shaped structure; and wherein eachdisk is configured as an absorbent protective disk comprising anabsorbent material and for placement in a bra cup to absorb spontaneousflow of milk from a breast.